Heel-band.



M. BROOK.

HEEL BAND.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

1,108,101. Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

.6 W A I rHE NORRIS PETERS C0, HHOTU-LITHQ, WASHINGTON D. C,

outrun srnrns PATENT ormon.

MATTHIAS BROOK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA-CHINERY COMPANY, OF -PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL-BAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed July 17, 1912. Serial No. 709,971.

' Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Heel-Bands, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like reference'characters on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several ligures.

This invention relates to shocmaking machinery and particularly to shoeend embracing bands such as are used in lasting machines of the bed typeand comprises ll11 'provements devised as the result of practicalexperience in the use of theheel'band shown in my earlier applicationSerial No. v522,987.

An important feature of this invention consists in a heel embracingband, which may advantageously be formed of balata or of moldablecompositions consisting largely of that gum, which may open and closeaboutthe heel portion of a last and the side portions or wings of whichmay or may not have straight outer faces while the inner facesarevcontoured substantially to the vertical curvature of the shoe sidesat and in the region of the heel breast.v t

The side walls of the band may, in accordance with another feature ofthe invention, be initially formed to engage the shoe first by theirlower portions whereby the area of engagement will spread upwardly andcause the upper to be conformed to the contour of the last throughoutthe height of the band and to be wrapped snugly about the last to theedge of the shoe bottom. The lower portions of the wings of the band mayadvantageously be formed relatively thicker than the upper portions andbe chambered from the lower edge upwardly to present a double wall torender the adjacent portions of the band walls more yielding than theother portions.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the heel band isconstructed to draw the upper materials forwardly about and-to conformto the contour of the rear end of the last. i To this end the band,which is resilient, is formed at its rear closed end of a width lessthan the breadth of the portion of'the heel to be embraced by it,

whereby it is adapted to grip and tighten forwardly the stock on thelast as the shoe is drawn back into the band in the usual manner injacking a shoe for the operation of a bed lasting machine. Thematerialof which the band is made contributes largely to the ehicacy of thisportion of its operation as does the character of the inner face of theband which face, by pressure and a very moderate degree of heat, isrendered very smooth and firm. This face of balat a adheres firmly tothe leather of the shoe upper, to a much greater degree than does aleather heel band, and can also be used upon colored upper leathers suchas russet's without discoloring the upper as does a leather heel ,bandunder similar use.

A heel bandso formed of balata also exceeds in durability, both as tothe condition of its inner face and as to resiliency and permanence ofshape, heel bands of any other available material known to me. One'ofthe practical advantages of great value is that this heel band of balatahaving the described finish on its inner face adheres to or grips theupper materials so firmly to the contour of the last that it. has provento be practical to withdraw from the shoe before lasting that assemblingtack which is driven into the rear end face of the shoe preparatory'topulling oyerand lasting for the purpose of holding the upper materialsfrom dlsplacement with relation to this portion of the last.- This hand,by conforming to the last as completely as it does and by reason of theadhesion to the upper, renders unnecessary the continuance of this tackin the shoe. Inasmuch as the abrasion of this tack upon the rearpart ofthe inner face of a heel band usually has been the factor whichdeterminated the life of a heel band, the importance of its eliminationmay be appreciated. The improvements of these bands as above describedhave rendered unnecessary the use of the renewable wearing piece 14'?described in my earlier application as adapted "to take the abrasion ofthese assembling tacks.

Preferably an outer covering of leather is applied to the ba-lataheelbands and is securedby being molded thereon under the heavy pressure towhich the balata is subjected for obtaining the required resilience andthe described characteristics of its innor, shoe engaging face. Forfurther securing the leather backing it is preferably provided with aplurality of holes into which the balata composition is forced duringthe molding operation to form integral studs the ends of which spreadmore or less at the outer ends of the holes to form heads which securelyhold the backing upon the body of the band. v v

The invention will now be described in connection with the drawin andthen particularlypointed out in the claims. I

Figure l is a persiective view of a heel band made in accordance withthis invention; Fig. 2 shows the preferred relation between the width ofthe upper and lower portions respectively of the band and the shoe whichis to be embraced. Fig. 3 shows the preferred relation. between thewidth of the rear or closed end. portion of the band and the breadth ofthe portion of the heel which is to be drawn into the band.

The heel band is made, preferably, of balata and leather fibers andmolded to the shape shown in Fig. 1 while moderately warm but with heavypressure and without vulcanization. The band preferably has verticallystraight outer faces 2 and inner fa'eeslwhich are contouredsubstantially to the shape of the portions of the last which. they are,respectively, to engage. The rear portion of the band, as at ii-50, isof slightly less width than the portion of the last x--w which is to bedrawn into it in the acking operation preparatory to lasting, see Fig.3, whereby the upper materials are frictionally tensioned or tightenedforwardly about the rear end of the last by the insertion of the shoeinto the band.

The inner face f of the band, which is the bare balata composition, ismade smooth and is hardened by the action of the forming dies andadheres to the upper leather very closely and can be made to tighten thestock forwardly as described without discoloring even the more delicateof colored upper stock such as russet leathers. The adherence of thisformed inner face of the balata hand. to the leather and theconformation of the hand to the shape of the last also prevents anydisplacement of the upper stock. by the Wipers in the lasting operation.

The lower portions of the sides or wings of the band. are relativelythicker than the upper portions and preferably are chambered as at fromtheir lower edges upwardly to form double walls from the lower edgethrough a portion of the height of the band and a portion of the lengthof each side. This provides particularly elastic or resilient sides andthe band is preferably initially formed, with relation to the style oflast for which it is intended, Fig. 2, to "ause these lower portions toengage the shoe first when the band is closed whereby the area ofengagement is made to spread from the lower edge upwardly to gather andwrap/the upper toward the edge of the last bottom. These elastic areasyield. as the band is closed so that the band is not necessarilytwisted.

The oute face of the band is made of a leather cover which is secured inplace during the molding operation by pressure. The cover has aplurality of holes through it into which are molded portions of thebalata, forming stuns 6 integral with the body of the hand. These studs,under the molding pressru'e, spriad at the outer face of the cover toform heads which add to the security of the attachment of the cover tothe body of the band.

Having exolained the invention and deed a preferred embodiment of it, I

S(. ii. (.laim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States:

1.. A heel embracing band having a vertically straight outer face and aninner face on its wings orside portions which is continuous oruninterrupted throughout the height of the band and is contouredsubstantially to the vertical cross sectional shape of the foot in theregion of the heel breast.

2. n heel embracing band having side portions or wings formed on theirinner faces to engage the shoe first near their lower edges when theband is closed, as and for the purpose described.

3. A band adapted to open and close about the heel end of a shoe andhaving wings which h ave relatively thin upper portions and lowerportions which are thicker and are chambered substantially as de scribedto render them resilient.

l. A heel band made of resilient material and having in its wallschambers arranged to render the portions of the band adjacent theretomore yielding than other portions of the band.

fr heel band made of resilient material and having, extending upwardlyfrom the lower edge of each side portion or wing, a chamber renderingthe lower portions of the wings relatively more yielding than otherparts of the band.

('3. A heel embracing band of resilient material having at its rearclosed end a normal width less than the breadth of the portion of theheel to be embraced and adapted, when the band and shoe are broughttogether longitudinally, to grip and tighten forwardly the uppermaterials about therear end of the last.

7. A molded heel band having an outer covering of leather provided witha plurality of holes and integral studs of the band material molded intosaid holes.

8. A heel band made of balata and having an outer covering of leathermolded upon it,

said covering having holes extending through it and into which thebalata is molded for further securing the covering in place.

9. A heel band having a backing of tough, flexible Wear-resistingmaterial extending across its rear closed end and having a smooth,hardened inner face formed of balata intimately united to the backingaround the rear closed end of the band as and for the purposesdescribed.

10. A band adapted to open and close about the heel end of a shoe andhaving an outer Wear resisting surface of leather and an inner shoeengaging surface composed of balata and united'permanently to theleather throughout its extent said balata being molded to approximatethe contour of the balata and united permanently to the leatherthroughout its extent.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

MATTHIAS BROCK.

WVitnesses ARTHUR L. RUssELL,

VILLIAM B. KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' walbington, D. 0.

